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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — of the year
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. land — a country
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. march — music
  8. land — ground
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. craft — boats
  14. season — in sport
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. land — to come down
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com